Punjab | Pakistan

All public and private schools across Punjab will remain closed until August 31, as provincial authorities have decided to extend the summer vacation due to ongoing weather concerns.

The body of a missing teenage girl was recovered from a drain near Punjab’s Rawat on Wednesday, according to police. Kahuta Police Station House Officer (SHO) Zakaullah Shah told Dawn.com: “ Fifteen-year-old Sania Bibi, daughter of Muhammad Waris, a resident of Kahuta town, had gone missing from her home the previous day, while her body was found lying in Lang Nullah in the Rawat area on Wednesday morning.“ Shah said that her body was transported to Kahuta Tehsil Headquarter Hospital for a postmortem to ascertain the cause of her death. The SHO further added that her family had told the police that she was mentally ill and had left her home barefoot. “They were searching for her and she probably jumped into the ravine. Her body was recovered miles away in the Rawat area, at the bank of the nullah,” the SHO said. The official added that all aspects of her death would be investigated after receiving postmortem reports. Last month, the prime suspect in the Arshman Akhtar murder case was killed in an alleged enco...

A roof collapse due to heavy rains killed a 17-year-old girl and injured three other family members in Punjab’s Rawalpindi district in the early hours of Tuesday morning, rescue officials said. Starting in late June, monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Roof collapses are a particularly common occurrence due to a large number of mud houses that are unable to withstand the heavy downpour. According to Rescue 1122, the roof collapse occurred on Daultala Road of Gujar Khan tehsil. A neighbour of the family reported that the side walls of their house collapsed and the roof caved in at about 1:30am while they were sleeping. According to the neighbour, “all the people in the neighbourhood rushed to the rescue” upon getting the information. The victims were pulled out of the rubble and taken to the hospital. Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Muhammad Sibghtullah said t...

LAHORE: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Punjab and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday warned that a spell of heavy torrential rains will begin on Aug 5 (today), persisting till August 7, warning of urban flooding in some cities. Officials warn that urban flooding is feared in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Islamabad over the next 72 hours. According to the PDMA fact sheet, heavy rains have already claimed 163 lives so far this season, besides leaving 579 people injured and 215 homes damaged across Punjab. The PDMA also predicted moderate to high-level flooding in the Chenab and Jhelum rivers from August 5, with thunderstorms expected in upper catchment areas. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia placed all emergency centres on high alert, stating, “Our field teams are monitoring the situation 24/7, especially in vulnerable areas like Murree where landslides remain a serious threat.” Meanwhile, the current rains and floods have filled the Tarbela Dam up to 91 perc...

Five cops were martyred after bandits of the Katcha area attacked a police checkpoint in Rahim Yar Khan, a statement from the Punjab police said on Friday. For decades, dozens of bandit gangs armed with sophisticated weaponry have operated with impunity in northern Sindh as well as southern Punjab. Kidnappings for ransom, extortion rackets that cripple local businesses, brutal killings and looting people on the major highways have become a daily reality. According to a statement from the office of the Inspector General of Punjab, almost 40 bandits, using rocket launchers and grenades, attacked the Sheikhani police picket in the Katcha area, situated between Chowk Sewetra and Chowk Mahi near the Guddu-Kashmore Road on Thursday night. “During the attack, policemen of Elite Force, including Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Saleem and Nukhail of Bahawalnagar, together with Khalil and Ghazanfar of Rahim Yar Khan, were martyred,” the statement said, adding that a bandit was also killed when the police retaliated. Following...

Following successful negotiations with the Punjab government, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has agreed to revise the route of its ongoing 'Haq Do Balochistan March' in a bid to ensure a peaceful continuation of the protest.

Report finds 1,956 cases in early 2025, most reported from Punjab

In a landmark achievement under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Suthra Punjab – Waste to Value Project,” Punjab has successfully produced biogas from animal waste for the first time.

Widespread flooding triggered by overflowing rivers and persistent monsoon rains has devastated multiple districts across Punjab, prompting emergency alerts and large-scale rescue efforts.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the concerned authorities to utilize Safe City cameras to monitor sanitation conditions across the province as part of the ongoing ‘Suthra (Clean) Punjab’ Program.

LAHORE: A major controversy has emerged over the methodology used by the Crop Reporting Centre (CRC) Punjab in determining provincial cotton output, with serious allegations of inflated and misleading statistics surfacing. It has been revealed that CRC Punjab is allegedly estimating total cotton production using hypothetical calculations — extrapolating yields based on the number of bolls per plant across an acre or, in some districts, from small sample plots as small as eight feet by six feet. This has exposed a long-standing discrepancy between the figures reported by CRC Punjab and those of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), with the former consistently reporting significantly higher production. Ihsan-ul-Haq, Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, stated that this variance has long complicated decision-making for stakeholders in the cotton industry. He noted that while some attribute the CRC’s inflated figures to unrecorded lint sales by certain ginners, the presence of two conflicting national...

• CM Gulbar says region lacks funds to tackle flood damage • Seven districts affected; Diamer worst hit by daily flash floods • Villagers flee Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh as low-lying districts in Punjab submerged GILGIT / LAHORE / DERA GHAZI KHAN: Gilgit-Balti­stan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan on Saturday appe­aled to the federal government for Rs7 billion in emergency funds to deal with climate-induced disasters that have caused damages exceeding Rs20bn across the region. Speaking at a press conference at the CM House in Gilgit, the chief minister said the GB government lacks the financial capacity to handle the unprecedented disasters. CM Khan was accompanied by GB Home Minister Shams Lone, GB Assembly member Jamil Ahmed, Special Assi­stant on Infor­mation Eman Shah and Special Assistant on GB Disaster Management Auth­ority Muhammad Ali Quaid. He said unprecedented floods had impacted seven districts, with Diamer being the worst affected. “People in GB are facing daily flood events. At least...

LAHORE: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab on Saturday issued a flood warning for the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and their adjoining tributaries, forecasting possible low to medium-level flooding from July 28 to 31. PDMA warned of an unusual rise in water levels and urges authorities to take preemptive measures. The alert has been […]

A medium-level flood in the Indus River at Taunsa has submerged over 20 villages, causing severe damage to homes and standing crops, as the flood situation across southern Punjab continues to worsen.

LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has published a public notice urging individuals to confirm e-challan verification on purchase of used vehicles across the province. People frequently buy and sell used cars across Pakistan, as this is an affordable and convenient practice. However, PSCA warns that neglecting traffic fines during the sale or purchase […]

The educational boards across Punjab have announced the position holders for the Matric Annual Examinations 2025, celebrating outstanding academic performances in various districts.

LAHORE - Punjab has once again taken the lead by launching Pakistan’s first provincial Counter Narcotics Force (CNF), a specialized force dedicated to eliminating the growing menace of drugs across the province.

LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday raised alarm over political dysfunction and rising injustices in Punjab. The HRCP held a press conference to highlight the human rights situation in Punjab as recorded in its report, State of Human Rights in 2024, launched earlier. While voter registration and total votes cast was reportedly increased in the 2024 general elections, the turnout declined. Women’s representation in the assemblies more than doubled, but the Punjab Assembly remained plagued by disruptions, a tendency to ignore input from the opposition, and hurried legislation. Assembly proceedings in 2024 were dominated by chaos. Women MPAs staged a walkout over inappropriate gestures in the House and the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities faced legal setbacks. The Punjab Defamation Act 2024, hurriedly approved in June, was widely criticised by human rights networks for stifling free speech. The law was subsequently challenged in the Lahore High Court as unconstit...

LAHORE: Punjab has launched its first Counter Narcotics Force (CNF) to combat the menace of drugs. A passing-out ceremony was held here on Tuesday in which Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz handed over the flag to the CNF. She also met the CNF personnel and inspected vehicles and equipment. CNF DG Brig Mazhar Iqbal gave briefing about the formation and work of the force to the CM. Some 866 personnel have been recruited in the first phase in the CNF. It has been made functional in all divisions. In the first phase, CNF stations and regional directorates have been established in each division of Punjab. In the second phase, the scope of CNF will be expanded to the district level. The CM was informed that the CNF officers and personnel were given 12 weeks of professional training at the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) Academy, Rawalpindi. Speaking on the occasion, CM Maryam said the future of Punjab was bright with the formation of the CNF. With the establishment of the CNF, she said the menace of drugs would soon be eradi...

Punjab government launched Punjab Counter Narcotics Force on Tuesday.